MY EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist licensed to provide online marriage counseling (teletherapy) to residents of Oregon, California, and Washington State. I earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and counseling from the California State University of Fullerton and was awarded a Professional Promise Award at the graduation ceremony.

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO BECOME A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST

I see the profession of a marriage and family therapist as one that brings fulfillment and meaning into my life by helping others.

Experiences in my own life sparked a desire to help people in need and have led me to become a marriage and family therapist.

My personal background has significantly influenced my decision of pursuing the profession of a marriage and family therapist. I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1968. My values and beliefs were built upon my interactions with my aunt, who was like a second mother to me. She taught me such values as kindness, honesty, and integrity. She also opened a wonderful world of books for me. Reading was and still is the most enjoyable activity for me.

My aunt’s passion for her career inspired me to enroll at St. Petersburg University to pursue a career as a teacher. After graduation, I followed in my aunt’s footsteps and became a teacher. I had been teaching World Literature and English Language at St. Petersburg University in Russia for 6 years.

Life was not always easy for me. I had both positive and negative experiences while living in Russia for 29 years. The healing process was not easy, and I learned a lot from attempting to heal my own emotional pain.

As a result, I was able to develop my own coping skills to overcome negative experiences. By forgiving, I was able to move on with my life and not allow such feelings as bitterness, hatred, and anger to control my life. With time I was able to heal and live my life fully and joyfully.

Since moving to the United States 23 years ago, I started working as a group counselor with children at Orangewood, a shelter for abused and neglected children. I also volunteered for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and Laura’s House, the agency that was helping survivors of domestic violence.

After graduating from the California State University of Fullerton with a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, I have been working for non-profit agencies, shelters for abused and neglected children and group homes, providing counseling to children, adolescents, men, women and families.

I also worked with teenagers who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and experienced severe trauma, helping them break destructive patterns, feel greater self-worth, reconnect with their inner strengths, learn to make healthy choices, and rebuild connections with their families.

I have been counseling couples for more than 14 years, during which time I have helped many couples improve the quality of their relationships and rebuild their lives.

As a wife and a mother, I understand how important relationships are to our happiness and overall well-being. I am passionate about helping couples and families heal and restore their relationships. I feel privileged to be a part of this process.

Warmly,

Anjelika